Rebirthing
by brynerose
Summary: A girl shows up at the school with no memory and a lot of similarities to Jean. But what starts out as the best opporunity she's ever had could put the school in danger all over again... *AU--scott and xavier are back after jean's death
1. Lost and Found

Rebirthing

_Tell me when I'm gonna live again_

_Tell me when I'm gonna breathe you in_

_Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside_

_Tell me when I'm gonna feel alive…_

_---_Skillet, _Rebirthing_

The night that hung above upstate New York was a cloudless quarter moon, lighting up the silent woods. Then the creak of a heavy door rang out—a sewer-like hatch appearing out of the ground. Stealthily, a figure dressed in black slipped out, looked around, and produced an object out of nowhere to prop the door.

The wraith stole out no more than a hundred feet to a secluded pond, much bigger than the fountain at the school. A whisper glided across the clear surface, and the opaqueness of ice replaced the water's sheen. The figure smiled, albeit half-heartedly, with anticipation.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Yup, there he is. Third time this week," Scott Summers confirmed. He was pointing to a dot on the newly-installed GPS screen. Since Stryker's raid on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, it was thought best to have additional protection; the system was configured to differentiate between those with and without the mutant gene. "Any thoughts on he feels he has to sneak out?"

"Well, heartbreak has interesting effects on one's thoughts and feelings, don't you think?" replied the Professor.

Scott couldn't meet his friend and mentor's eyes. "I know, I know. But _you _know how much Jean meant to me."

"Yes, I do. I also know how much Rogue meant to Bobby, even with her powers. To find out she'd taken the Cure was devastating for him. So he _escapes_."

"To go ice skating?"

"If that's what makes him feel free. Give him time to work through his feelings, and—"

A second high-pitched _beep_ chimed in, heralding another dot. A mutant, heading straight for Bobby.

"I got 'im," said Scott. Within a minute and a half, he was climbing out of the hatch in the woods and sprinting for the pond. Bobby was just chipping the icy blades off his shoes. He was astounded to see Scott.

"Look, I can explain—"

"No time," Scott interrupted. "We've got company."

On cue, rustling in the bushes about twenty feet away reached their ears. The pair froze. A figure burst into view as it staggered up the hill towards them. It was a teenage girl.

She was wearing dirty jeans, a t-shirt, and jean jacket. Her face, streaked with dirt, sported several abrasions and a nasty gash just below her hairline. Exhaustion and fear were etched in her whole body. But what got Bobby the most was her eyes—they were pale purple.

Both Scott and Bobby sprang forward as the girl collapsed. She must have been walking for hours to end up in the condition she was in. Scott took her easily in his arms.

Miraculously, Bobby's prop was still lodged in the hatch when they reached it.

"What do you suppose happened to 'er?" Bobby asked once they were safely in the tunnel back to school.

"Don't know," panted Scott. "Could've been any number of things. We won't find out until she's in better shape. Just in case, though, I think we ought to suspend these little night trips for awhile."

"What? Why?"

"Safety. What if she was followed here? I'm only talking about a few days, maybe a couple weeks at the most. Humor me."

Silence reigned until they reached the medical bay, where Professor X and Dr. McCoy were waiting for them. Both looked concerned.

"It's just exhaustion, I think," Scott explained. "She's a mutant; that's why she was trying to make her way here. I don't know if anyone was following, though."

"I see," said Dr. McCoy. "Well, I think I can take it from here. If you'll just set her there…" He gestured to the nearest table. Scott complied silently. In the proper light now, the girl reminded him sharply of Jean. Her hair was reddish-brown, darker than Jean's fiery red, but there was definitely the mystic quality that characterized telepaths. Then there was the girl's eyes—bright lavender that Scott could imagine sparkling with energy, if they were open.

"Scott?"

He snapped back to reality, realizing that the Professor was watching him. The chair-bound man's expression was kind.

"Get some sleep, Scott. I'm sure the details will wait until morning. You too, Bobby."

Bobby glanced up with a deer-in-the-headlights look. Clearly, he'd been hoping to escape notice for a little while longer. On the table, the girl stirred.

"There will be no questions tonight," Professor X said firmly. "Now, if you please." His eyes gestured towards the door, but this time, there was a mental prod as well.

"He's right, Bobby. There's nothing more we can do. Professor, Hank." Scott nodded to each, and then led the way to the door.

Bobby followed without a word, but his thoughts refused to leave the girl for the rest of the night. Who was she, and what was her story?

The next day was Saturday, which meant that nothing really moved within the school until after noon. For Bobby, however, this Saturday was different.

He made it as far as the lower level before he even checked for noises or movement. Nothing. Quickly and silently, he made his way toward the medical bay.

She was still there. Apart from the bandage on her head and an IV, she looked alright. She'd curled up into a ball under the blanket, fast asleep. Bobby walked slowly into the room. He made it within five feet of the table when her eyes flew open. His body froze of its own accord.

"What do you want?" she said in a low voice.

"I—I just came to see if you were okay," Bobby answered nervously. He realized _she_ was holding him where he was. "We found you in the woods last night, and brought you here. You're safe now."

Recognition dawned in her eyes. Still guarded, she released him and sat up. "Where is 'here,' exactly?"

"It's a school. A safe place for young mutants. Kids like you…and me."

"You're a mutant?"

Bobby reached out to a cup of water that had been set out. The water froze instantly. The girl's eyes grew wide.

"Cool," she breathed. Then she giggled. "In more ways than one, I guess."

"Well, that trick you just pulled was pretty cool, too," countered Bobby.

"That? That was nothing," the girl shrugged. "I'm used to self-defense and disguise, like this." She blinked; suddenly her eyes were greenish-hazel, perfectly normal-looking. "Most people freak out at the sight of purple eyes."

"So you can change your appearance at will, too?"

The girl laughed. "No, although sometimes I wish. It's an illusion. I'm making you think you see hazel eyes, like a visual Jedi mind trick." Except it works on everyone around me."

"Even cooler," said Bobby. "But you don't have to worry about hiding anything here. Like I said, you're safe."

"Yes, I can assure you of that," a deeper voice chimed in. Bobby spun around, and felt the girl's guard fly up again. The Professor stopped.

"Impressive," he said calmly. "Although, like young Mr. Drake here, I mean you no harm. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I run this School for Gifted Youngsters."

"And I'm Bobby," Bobby added quickly.

"Here we provide a safe environment for children of all ages to learn to manage and control their mutant powers," the Professor explained. "I see you've mastered quite a bit already. Few students do so on their own. What's your name?"

For the first time, the girl looked confused. She stared hard at the floor for several seconds. "I…I don't know."


	2. A Girl Named Jordin

"_What is your name?"_

"_I…I don't know."_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"It's strange. My powers give me the ability of a photographic memory, because of the focus involved. But none of the memories make sense. I don't remember hitting my head at all, where I was, anything. I remember a lot of people and cameras, though. And then there was a man. It was weird; he somehow knew about my powers. I think I was scared of him much of the time."

"This man—do you remember anything about him specifically?" the Professor pressed, gently but urgently. "His name? What he looked like?"

The girl shook her head. "Not really. He was older, like you. He had a curious accent, and kept talking about getting back at 'them' a lot. Sometimes there were things…things I had to do…" Her entire body tensed up, as if bracing against a cold wind.

"What kinds of things?"

"I must have found out what the preparations were for, and he—he—"

Her eyes were returning to their normal color, and welling up with tears. The lights above them shook for a moment.

"It's alright; calm down," the Professor said gently.

"But I don't know! I don't remember!" the girl burst out. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. "There was a mission—something important to him. I think I tried to run, and he found out. Now I just remember making my way up here. I don't even know why…I wasn't supposed to, though…"

Bobby sat down and put his arms around her. She was smaller than he thought, and flinched at his first touch. He could see why she was so distraught. It had to be terrifying to wake up not knowing who or where she was, not to mention finding her few recollections to be just as disturbing.

Professor X's face was grave; he must also have deduced who "he" was. Magneto, or, as the Professor knew him, Erik Lenscher, harbored a deep-seated resentment towards anyone who feared or disliked mutants. Whether Magneto was involved or not, however, the interview had continued for longer than necessary.

"Professor, we've got a hit." Scott burst through the door, waving a printout. All eyes were on him, including the girl's peeking over Bobby's arm. "Jordin Holly, a sixteen-year-old actress working in the independent film industry, disappeared eight months ago and is presumed dead. Take a look at the picture." He held out the paper.

Aside from shorter hair and deep blue eyes, it matched the girl's features exactly.

"So, Jordin, does that ring any bells?" asked the Professor. The girl was beginning to calm down. There was no mistaking her expression the longer she stared at what Scott held out to her.

"That's my headshot, the last ones I got done, I think," she mused form behind Bobby's arm. "So, my name's 'Jordin Holly.' That's one fact down, a million more to go."

"We'll figure it all out, don't worry," said Bobby, rubbing her shoulder. "One step at a time."

Just then, Dr. McCoy strode amiably into the room, or as amiably as one can look when one is nearly twice a normal man's size and covered in blue fur. But his light mood turned to shock to find it already so busy. "What's the meaning of this?"

We were simply trying to piece together this young woman's past," the Professor said smoothly. "I'm afraid Jordin here is experiencing amnesia, and became overwhelmed."

"I see," grumbled McCoy. "Well, I must say you've improved greatly with the round of antibiotics. Let's see how that gash looks. If it's starting to heal up, I don't see why she couldn't move up to a room in the mansion."

Jordin sat deep in thought while the formidable-looking mutant doctored her head. So much was happening; she couldn't keep up with it. Even so, she couldn't keep her attention from wandering to the only other teenager in the room—Bobby Drake. She didn't remember much companionship, or even the security of knowing someone was there for her. Only disembodied fear. Now comfort came in full force from a complete stranger. All of them, in fact, seemed to want her to feel safe here.

"Well, it's looking much better, even this early on. I'd say you're fit to be released, just check back in a couple of days to make sure it continues to heal," McCoy concluded.

"You'll have to give us some time, but we'll have accommodations for you by tonight," added the Professor. "In the meantime—"

"I could show you around, if you want," Bobby finished. Then he glanced back at the Professor, who nodded both approval and forgiveness for the interruption. "Come on."

Jordin followed curiously. "This doesn't look much like a school. More like a high-security vault."

"Oh, this isn't part of the school…well, technically," Bobby explained. "The students aren't really allowed down here."

"What about you?"

"I snuck down here to see how you were doing. Gave us a scare last night."

"But you don't even know me," Jordin argued. "For all you know, I could turn out to be a danger to you all or something. And anyway, what reason would you have for caring?" She didn't mean to be so critical. Even so, her outburst startled Bobby so much he stopped walking.

"Since when do I have to know someone before I can care?" he countered quietly. "You were hurt, you looked lost, you're a fellow mutant. Now especially is when we need to learn to join together regardless of similarities _or_ differences."

Now it was Jordin's turn to be surprised, but it was accompanied by a heartfelt desire to believe what he said. "I think I understand. It's just, no one's ever done that for me before"—she pondered her own statement—"that I know of, I think."

"There's a first time for everything," chuckled Bobby. It wasn't a mocking sound. He was inviting her. She answered with the first genuine smile in her shortened memory.

The afternoon was given over to touring and introductions. Jordin was surprised at the number of mutants in one place, let alone how many of them welcomed her into their little community. She would be sharing a room with a girl who called herself Jubilee. Storm would help her get settled into classes. Then there were the people she'd already met. The Professor mentioned a one-on-one appointment to explore what her powers were and their extent. Bobby, of course, was present whenever possible. And Scott, oddly enough, seemed to have taken a big brother-guardian sort of interest in her; he was very reserved with most of the others. By the end of the day, Jordin didn't feel nearly as overwhelmed as she thought she should be.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Bobby asked when they stopped in front of Jordin's new room. He reached for her left hand as if by habit. Jordin flinched at the contact. "Sorry," he hastily corrected himself. The slightest hint of disappointment had appeared, however.

"It's…okay," Jordin muttered, attempting to smile. "There's just so much I'm still unsure of."

"Yeah," agreed Bobby. He still seemed embarrassed. "Uh, goodnight, I guess."

Jordin smiled a little more confidently. "Goodnight."

Unexpectedly the door opened, causing them both to jump. Jubilee's face peeked out, framed by her outrageously-streaked black hair.

"There you are. Some of the girls and I were about to start a game. Wanna join?"

"Um, sure," Jordin glanced momentarily at Bobby before following her roommate inside. The door shut.

"Have fun," Bobby whispered to the empty hallway. "You deserve to have some."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Tell me again; _what_ happened?" Magneto asked the trembling mutant in front of him.

"Sh-sh-she-sh—" the mutant struggled, "She's gone. I was t-testing the chip just like y-you told me t-to. Suddenly she s-started to f-fight it. I h-h-hit 'er over the head before she could-d-do anything big. Did-d-dn't mean to hit so hard. Almost got'er back to her room when she w-woke up. Freaked out with'er p-powers on me…an' now she's d—d-disappeared."

The older former-mutant closed his eyes, as if praying for patience.

"B-but I have some better news!" his terrified minion stammered. "I just found out where she ended up."

Magneto raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

"I was snooping around for anyone who might've seen'er, when I almost ran smack into a couple 'a Xavier's flunkies. Nothin; outta the ordinary—until they mentioned a 'new student.'" The young mutant grew bolder as Magneto seemed to become more receptive to his story. "Yup. Alone, troubled, appeared to have been attacked. But obviously powerful, except for having lost her memory."

"_What_?"

The young mutant jumped backward, all confidence lost once more. "D-doesn't mean it was me! That's a lota ground to cover, gettin' all the way to Xavier on'er own. At least we know where she is, right?"

"Yes, but now so does Charles," Magneto replied evenly.

"Yeah, I guess…wasn't she supposed to end up there anyway, though?"

"In _time_. In order for the plan to move forward, however, she needs to be capable of carrying out what I require of her. Her loss of memory runs the risk of a meddler like Charles discovering the plan.

The girl's presence will be suspicious; he won't have allowed her to stay without making sure she's not a possible threat, not after everything that's happened." All pretense of patience had now dropped from the older man's voice. "If he uncovers information the girl doesn't know she has, then it would have been better if she'd not made it there at all. Charles won't stand for a venture such as this, least of all from me."

The young mutant's quaking had returned. "D-d-do you want me to t-take care of-f-f her?"

"No," Magneto growled. "We need her. She's the only one capable of completing the plan short of Charles himself." He sighed, as if weariness was a physical weight upon him. "We need a spy. Someone they already trust who can manipulate things from the inside, undetected. I can't exert enough control from here. Someone will need to be in place to perform the necessary tasks."

The young mutant watched nervously as Magneto fingered a couple of metal balls, out of which he once made a stringless pendulum. The supposed 'Cure' had changed a lot of things…


	3. What Were You Doing?

School bag over her shoulder, Jordin ventured into the futuristic hallway that led to the med unit. She was supposed to have her head checked again, but Dr. McCoy wasn't there. She wandered back out. Suddenly a clanking sound echoed from the far end of the hall.

A circular door, which until now had escaped her notice, had just opened. Inside she could distinguish the figures of the Professor and the furry doctor, standing in the strangest room she'd ever seen. The walls were entirely spherical, with a single walkway stretching to the center. There was something mysterious about it, she could tell…

Ah, Jordin, I see you're up and about quite nicely," the Professor said by way of greeting. Jordin continued to stare at the vast room.

"What is this place?"

"This is Cerebro. It amplifies my powers so I can locate mutants anywhere in the world, if needed. Like now, for instance. I was curious about the whereabouts of a particular friend who has been coming and going a lot as of late."

Maybe she meant to, or maybe the room just naturally heightened telepathic energy, but Jordin suddenly saw glimpses of a girl roughly her own age. Dark-mannered and dark-haired, except for a brilliant white streak in her bangs, she was quiet and wary, like Jordin, and very self-conscious of her powers. Or was—now those powers were gone, and the girl had withdrawn considerably. The last image was of her slipping away from the school.

Jordin wrenched herself back to the present, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean…" However, the kind face told her she didn't need to apologize.

"Let's see how your recovery is coming along." The Professor and Dr. McCoy headed toward the med unit.

Out of nowhere, something about Cerebro tugged insistently at her missing memories. Jordin flinched at a slight pinching sensation in her wrist. Before she knew it, she was walking up to the console at the center of the room, and lifting the strange helmet-like device which rested on top.

The room exploded into chaos. Her wrist burned, and her thoughts fixed immovably on the girl the Professor was searching for. Pain and shouting arose in her head, though whether it was hers or someone else's, she couldn't tell. Maybe both. Power raced through her body uncontrollably. She could feel her consciousness slipping the longer she touched Cerebro.

"Jordin!"

Everything calmed as abruptly as it had started. Jordin realized that the helmet was no longer on her head, and that someone was cradling her. Had she collapsed?

Dr. McCoy and the Professor swam into her vision. The former was helping her sit up.

"What did you think you were doing? This is not a device to be taken lightly or without sufficient control of one's powers," warned the Professor.

Head aching fit to burst, Jordin replied, "Honestly, I don't know. My powers got extra sensitive, and then it was like I totally lost control for a minute. I don't know how or where it came from, I swear. It's like I _knew_ about it before, though…" She realized how badly she was trembling.

"I believe you," said the Professor, after studying Jordin's face for a long moment. His eyes were penetrating but not harsh.

"You do?"

The wheelchair-bound man was already exiting the room once more as Jordin stood shakily. "We must begin to assess your powers. The sooner that is accomplished, the more capable you will be when we reach the bottom of this mystery."

With that, the three of them made for the Professor's office upstairs.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bobby sat nervously in the kitchen sipping a Coke; Jordin had been in the Professor's office for over two hours now. Every so often, unsettling tremors would shake the structure above his head. He had already guessed at the unvoiced suspicion: could she be as powerful as Jean had turned out to be? As if on cue, Scott strode in to grab a drink for himself.

"What's going on up there?" The question escaped before Bobby could stop himself. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Scott answered, rather tensely. "Her powers are just proving more…complex, than we originally thought." His mood darkened further.

"She's not…is it…"

"No, and we're pretty sure of that," finished Scott before Jean's name could be mentioned. "Though there are some uncanny similarities. She's learned and developed her powers in unusual ways living on her own. The uses are ingenious, and seem to have survived her amnesia…but we don't see any sign of a dual identity as…others have. It's her apparent connection to Magneto that has the Professor worried."

A pause stretched between them. Then,

"Oh, by the way, Rogue is back again," Scott commented.

"Mmm," answered Bobby. His own feelings were still tender about the former relationship.

"You're not relieved?"

"I don't know what I think. It's just been so crazy lately…"

The ceiling shook again, rattling the windows and light fixture. Scott sighed. "Jordin's fragmented memories are turbulent, and the aftershock of whatever she escaped has left her control over her powers subject to her emotions. I'm afraid it's going to take the Professor's personal guidance to help her find herself."

_Yeah,_ thought Bobby, looking up at the ceiling.

* * *

**A/N: yeah, it's a short one. editing's tricky sometimes. but i couldn't resist giving a good cliffhanger before heading to tennessee for the weekend ^-^ r&r!**


	4. Dreaming

_Jordin tried in vain to find a light switch in the hallway she was in. It was too dark to tell if she'd been down it before or not. The situation had an air of déjà vu._

You don't need light. Your powers will guide you_, a voice said, seemingly from nowhere. Confused, Jordin hesitated. _You know you have the power. You're the **only** one with the power._ Why wasn't she finding this incredibly weird?_

_It was as if someone had flipped a switch in her own head. She sensed rather than saw where everything was—a door lay some ten feet ahead. It was locked, but the bolt slid silently back as she reached for the knob. Jordin's heart quickened. _I don't think I'm supposed to be here…

The lock is supposed to do that; just keep going_, the voice insisted._

_Jordin entered the room like a shadow. She already knew to step around a chair to a desk that held more than it seemed. All she had to do was locate the…_there_. A secret latch. The dimmest white appeared before her—paper files. 'CEREBRO' was handwritten plainly on the front._

You'll need all of it.

_Something suddenly distracted Jordin. A sense before she heard the sound. Someone was coming. Someone she didn't want to meet. The hidden space snapped shut, and she bolted for the door, ignoring the voice still trying to direct her. She needed to hide, needed to be out of sight until she could get her head back together. Her powers led to way now, into a small, dark room. But she knew she was safe. Not a sound could be heard except for her own breathing._

A hard cool material pressed against her forehead. Jordin jumped upright. She was leaning against the tile wall of the bathroom, which gleamed even in the darkness. How had she gotten here? As her pulse returned to normal, the only conclusion that leapt out was that she must have sleep-walked. Something in the back of her mind told her she'd encountered this before.

_I wonder what the dream was about,_ she thought groggily. _It's like I've seen it before, but not quite in the same place. _Underneath her, her left arm burned dully; she must have slept funny on it. Nothing seemed wrong with it. And yet, the memory of the dream was unsettling. Something about it nagged at her mind, the part that couldn't remember.

Still nothing popped out. Giving up, Jordin picked herself up off the floor and went back to bed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Ugh, my brain's refusing to focus anymore," Jordin complained, tossing her pen down and fingering her temples.

"We can stop for now, if you want. I mean, no one can study forever," suggested Bobby. _Especially after the daily scouring of your mind with the Professor._

Jordin glanced forlornly around the busy rec room. "I know. It's just that there's so much stuff I have to catch up on. I don't think I slept well last night. And with the extra stuff I've got with Professor X…"

"Is it really worth driving yourself crazy, though? Come on, how 'bout we play a couple rounds of foosball, and then go to dinner? After that, maybe we'll get another chunk taken out of all this. Deal?"

"I guess." The lavender eyes continued to wander around the room, mostly at the walls and ceiling. "It's so _busy_ tonight, too."

"What?"

"The _thoughts_." Jordin tapped her temple again. "I saw the girl Professor X was looking for, by the way. We bumped shoulders today. You know, the girl with the white-streaked hair?"

Bobby's heart skipped a beat. "Really?" He couldn't keep his tangled feelings from his expression.

"Oh…is that something I shouldn't talk about? I'm sorry…"

"Don't sweat it. You've already plowed through so much in three days; give yourself a break. What's the Professor having you do, anyway?"

"Just different exercises to test strength and control in various aspects of my powers," Jordin explained while she stuffed her books into her bag. "But they scare me. I remember instinctively what to _do_ with them, but not exactly what I _can_ do. It feels like I'm standing blindfolded with a box of dynamite in my arms. I have no way of knowing how much dynamite is in the box. I could really hurt someone."

"You're not going to hurt anyone. I promise."

Faint tremors of tension continued to emanate from her all through the meal. The feeling set Bobby on edge, as if he expected something to happen. While the Professor was sure the did not have another Phoenix-like mutant on their hands, the havoc of open war was still fresh enough for Bobby that he was reminded of it now. And more over, what long-term affect could it have on Jordin?

Some of his suspicions turned out to be true. Her concentration didn't improve much with the break, and only made her more frustrated. Little progress was made by the time they decided to call it a night.

As if this wasn't enough, Rogue took to avoiding Bobby completely now that she had returned. She had taken his shock about the Cure as an outright rejection, and spent increasing amounts of time outside of the school. Bobby was heartbroken. True, it had been hard to seriously date a girl who could drain your life energy just by touching bare skin. But it hurt just as badly to think of her changing so much of who she was, so much of the girl he'd fallen in love with. Plus, he suspected she didn't like the presence of a new girl around him. He was stuck.

Jordin's arrival seemed to be creating as many problems as it had opportunities. The longer they helped her retrace her past, the more insidious nature loomed around her. The Professor became more unsettled as his sessions with Jordin stretched over weeks. Jordin herself would emerge shaky and sometimes even in tears, and Bobby didn't know what to do.

"_Is_ there anything I can do?" he asked desperately one night. Jordin was struggling to regain composure from her latest attempt at working with her powers.

"I don't know," she sighed tiredly. "There's so much going on in my head, I don't know what to be sure of. I think…I think I just need some time alone tonight. I'm around people constantly as it is, okay?"

Wait, don't—I'm sorry—don't start pulling away. You don't have to take this on yourself. Let me help—"

"And what if I'm tired of being poked and prodded and studied all the time? 'Let, me help, leave it to us, don't worry about it, don't push yourself so hard. After nearly five weeks of living here, I'm still being treated like some lost child. Just because I don't have all my memories doesn't mean I'm helpless!" She back away as her voice rose, her eyes almost sparking with angry energy.

"Wait, please—" Instinctively, Bobby made a wild grab for her wrist to stop her. She broke his grip easily, and then an invisible force like a brick wall knocked him off his feet. He tasted blood where he'd bitten his lip upon landing.

The energy in her eyes instantly turned to fear. Jordin had lashed out with her powers, not with physical strength. And before Bobby could stop her, she was running like a spooked rabbit down the hallway.

"Wait!"

Tears blurred Jordin's vision. She didn't care where she was going, as long as it was away from people. It had finally happened—she'd lost control and used her powers against someone. Against _Bobby_, of all people!

No matter how much she tried, her feelings remained more of a mystery than anything else. With her memory had gone much of her capacity to really trust anyone, and yet, Bobby was different. She wanted so badly to be able to tell him, to open up about what she was going through. Her disjointed past terrified her. The sessions with the Professor often revealed some kind of training sessions (how did she know they were only training??). Sessions where she hurt people. Whatever she had prepared for before losing her memory, it had violent intentions. How could she tell him that?

He was more than willing to listen, she knew that. But there was such a desire to protect him—and everyone else—from being hurt by what she was that she kept everything shut up inside. What was going on?

A door suddenly opened to the right; Jordin collided with the emerging figure before she could register her surroundings again. Firm but gentle hands kept her from falling.

"Jordin? Are you okay? What's happened?"

Tears were coming so thickly now that Jordin had to blink several times in order to make out Scott's visor. As soon as it did, she broke down completely, too overwhelmed to run anymore.

Scott hugged her silently, and led her back through the door he'd opened. It was his apartment. The door was only closed enough to give them some privacy.

Jordin took the seat and tissues she was offered, now attempting to enough breath to speak. Her terror and anger were quickly ebbing.

"Take your time," Scott said quietly. "Was it something you and the Professor saw?"

Shaking a little as she breathed deeply, Jordin shook her head. "But that kind of started it. I…used my powers by accident. On Bobby."

Scott shrugged and began to say something, but Jordin wanted to press on now that she was going. "I got really short-tempered with all the stress and pressure I've been under, and Bobby hovering over me about it was just too much. I didn't mean it. I just wanted to get away, and…_pushed_.

"He fell on the carpet, and didn't show signs of being hurt, so it's not a problem of serious injury or anything. He means well, and probably spent more time worrying about me than anyone else here. I just can't believe I lost control like that. What if it happens again? What if I do something worse? What if—"

"Hey, hey, slow down. That mind of yours is running away with itself," Scott interrupted. "Everyone has spats like this. It's pretty hard to avoid in a school full of hormonal kids with special gifts. You're going through the same situation as everyone else here. Bobby's not going to hate you for your powers showing themselves once."

Shame and embarrassment replaced Jordin's fading adrenaline. "But if I can't control it now, how am I going to control it when I mean to let it out? It seems like too much power to begin with."

"Trust me, the Professor would have done something if he thought you had too much power," Scott assured her. There was a note of sadness in his voice that made Jordin look up from her feet at last. She could tell even without her telepathy that he was speaking from very personal experience.

"The Professor…sometimes he lets slip images of a woman…a mutant who died. Did you know her?" she asked quietly.

Scott nodded. His composure became much more fragile. "She was the most powerful mutant ever known. The Professor's mind bars could only hold up for so long. You're a lot like her, actually. In good ways, I promise," he added hastily. "She was determined, goal driven, a little reserved with her powers. Even your red hair is almost like hers."

"Oh, sorry. I can change it if you'd rather—"

"No, it's okay. Part of me wonders if…I've been stuck in grief for too long. The school's still here, still filled with students learning to work with their powers. And maybe a sign or two from a guardian angel. Jean would want it like this.

"It's late. No surprise that you're worn down with everything you've been hammering at. Sometimes we work a little _too_ hard at our goals, and that's not going to make them any easier to reach." Scott gently pushed Jordin into a standing position, following close behind. After only a few steps, though, she turned and hugged him tightly.

"What's this for?"

"For helping me out. Seems like whenever something gets overwhelming, I run into someone who knows just what to say for the moment. It's reassuring to know I have that."

"Glad to be of service." Scott smiled, which Jordin never remembered him doing before. They said goodnight, and Jordin made her way up to her room. For once, Jubilee wasn't there yet. As much as she liked her roommate, what she needed was some peace and quiet.


	5. Between Heaven and Hell

Jordin made her way up to her room. For once, Jubilee wasn't there yet. As much as she liked her roommate, what she needed was some peace and quiet.

She felt her body release tension as she slipped into a clean nightdress. It was to be expected, the Professor had said, that searches into one's memory might be physically taxing, too. That didn't stop her heart form panicking at some of the things that she saw. Terrible things.

"Psst! Jordin!"

Reluctantly, she climbed off her bed, grabbed her robe, and peered out her window. The light breeze carried the refreshing scent of approaching rain. Bobby stood on the sidewalk, face craned upward to see the second-story opening.

"Is it too late for a short walk?" he asked, a little awkwardly.

Jordin pulled her robe a little closer. "I'm not exactly dressed for it," she whispered down at him.

"I can wait, if you want to change…or it could wait 'til some other night. Don't feel like you have to or anything. I just wanted to try to make up for earlier. But it's okay."

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Jordin sputtered. "Gimme a couple of minutes." She grabbed the pair of jeans tossed aside not five minutes ago and threw her jacketright over the nightdress. Then she returned to the window. Summer growth concealed well the lattice secured to the side of the building. Still, she scaled it easily to the ground.

"Wow," breathed Bobby. "I wasn't thinking you'd be that fast. Wouldn't it have been easier using your powers though? Harder to get caught?"

"I don't know them well enough to do that," Jordin half-lies, turning away. "If they're _anything_ like what Scott and the Professor sometimes talked about in private—"

"So you've been spying?"

"_No_. Sometimes my powers wander. Control hasn't been my strongest suit since I got here, and sometimes there's just too much going on in this school. But if they _are_ extensive enough…I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Like me?" Bobby took a couple of steps closer. There was no sign of their previous struggle.

"Among others. Professor X, Scott, you…I"ve spent a fair amount of time hanging out with Jubilee, too. I'm just afraid of getting comfortable, relaxing to the point where I'm not watching what I'm doing."

"It takes time to learn all this stuff," Bobby countered. "You're expecting to have it down as soon as you hear it. Lots of things take _time_, though. Here." He offered his hand. "I'll show you what I dragged you out here for, and we'll call it a night, okay?"

Jordin searched his face carefully. She found nothing but honest concern underlying his intentions. "Okay."

Bobby led her a short ways to the front fountain. "Usually I sneak out to the pond in the woods, but as with the current circumstances…" He gave her a guilty smile. "Anyway, this'll do." Leaning over the stone rim, he touched the water. Ice spread and thickened across the fountain, forming a sort of homemade ice rink.

"But we don't have skates," Jordin argued. Bobby pulled her up onto the stonework. To her surprise, he knelt down, and shaped ice around the soles of their shoes.

"There. Now we do," he said. He leaned in close. "Took me months to figure it out."

Jordin let herself be led by the hand onto the ice. "I probably haven't done this since I was in fifth grade."

"Skill doesn't matter. We're just skating around. And anyway, I wouldn't let you fall without at least trying to catch you."

"How chivalrous," giggled Jordin. They skated around and around the fountain, lost in a private magical world. Bobby kept his word and caught her when her feet flew out unexpectedly. The natural pause gave way to a rumble of thunder. Raindrops began to fall lightly around them.

Bobby smiled apologetically. "I guess that's the end of tonight's fun."

"Is it?" Though the rain was picking up, it seemed to fall away from him. The air glowed a faint blue-violet with each impact. Jordin cupped her hands. From the top of the force field around them, shimmering water poured itself into a perfect liquid sphere hovering barely an inch from her skin.

Bobby put his own hand over it, freezing and shaping the water at the same time, until it was a glistening rose Jordin suspended in the air. There were even tiny thorns on the stem.

"You don't even want to know how long it took me to figure out that stem," he confessed.

"It's beautiful."

"So are you."

For a moment, they simply gazed at each other. Bobby couldn't quite read Jordin's expression in the dark; did she take offense to his comment? Great. In three words, he had managed to ruin the entire late-night excursion. This wasn't even really supposed to be a date, or anything! It just kind of…happened…that way…

"How do you do it?" asked Jordin.

"Huh?"

"This sense of openness. Why, when I've been struggling with trust and control and understanding anything about myself, can I just…_relax_ all of a sudden with you? I mean, here we are, on frozen water in the middle of a summer rainstorm, playing with mutant powers! It seems absurd, and yet it's not. Not right now. I don't know how you're able to bring that out of me."

"I didn't think I was doing anything special, I can tell you that. I just hoped to give you a little time in a space that was less…busy, shall we say?"

"I see."

"Did it work?"

Jordin took her time glancing around the darkened yard. Then she closed her eyes, intent on something Bobby couldn't detect. After about a minute, she nodded. "Yes." She kept her eyes closed, and Bobby noticed her head was beginning to droop onto his chest.

"Here, let's get you back to your room. I've kept you out late enough." He gently guided the petite girl back towards the building. Tired as she obviously was, however, Jordin still made it clear that she could walk without assistance. But she allowed his hand to linger a moment behind her shoulders. Bobby took that as a good sign. She was beginning to really trust him.

They stopped under Jordin's window. As she turned to face him, eyes pale but bright, Bobby _had_ to take the risk of touching her again. She allowed him to push her hair behind one ear.

"I won't pretend there's no way you could hurt me," he whispered, his heart pounding. "But I want you to know that it won't keep me from standing by you when you need someone, either. I'm willing to bear it if it helps you move forward."

Jordin smiled. "It does—help, I mean. And I'm sorry about my reaction earlier. As you deduced, I just needed to find someplace quiet for awhile. I would have come back out to say goodnight, if nothing else. I do know how to find you." She tapped her temple with a finger.

"I'll keep that in mind," Bobby promised her. "It wasn't exactly fair that I kept pushing, either. Just don't shut me out, okay?"

"Okay." Jordin took a long look at him, slowly got on her tip-toes…and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

Shock numbed Bobby's whole body as Jordin gracefully lifted herself up to her window, though she teetered slightly on the ledge. In one night she'd become a different person, relaxed, comfortable, and even a little confident in herself. Whether it lasted beyond tonight or not didn't matter; at least he knew the _real_ Jordin was there, somewhere.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Keep going. You're almost there._

_I shouldn't…this doesn't feel right. I don't think I'm supposed to be in here._

The voice was stronger, more insistent than ever before. _But you need to. It's the only way. You're so close…_ Jordin felt a physical pull on her body. Not too far away, she could sense the secret elevator open.

_No!_ _I don't know who you are or what you want, but get out of my head! Leave me alone!_

_But you agreed, you chose to take on this assignment. There's no backing out now._

_I don't remember, okay? Things have changed; I can't do this!_ A burning sensation was building in Jordin's left forearm as she began to fight whatever controlled her body. She could register the hallway and décor, but wasn't sure she could avoid hitting anything in her struggle. _What do you want from me?!_

Vivid images suddenly exploded into her mind. People and flashing lights surrounded her beneath the marquis of a movie theatre. Slipping away and talking with an older man…that man…pain in her arm…echoes of a different disembodied voice during practice runs. _Wait—practice??_

_CRASH._

The sound was inside the memory, and outside it. Sharp pain in Jordin's hands and arms made her cry out. The images vanished. She could see the floor as she hit it, tumbling with a wooden table and its now-broken glass top. Footsteps vibrated the hard wood floor underneath her.

"Jordin!"

* * *

**A/N: I don't normally do these, but I just want to clarify something. I know that the 'date' scene is really close to the one in X3 w/ Bobby and Kitty; before you call it cheesy or a cop-out, know that playing w/ that scene was what started this entire story idea. It is, in multiple ways, the centerpoint of this piece.**


	6. Link to the Past

_The sound was inside the memory, and outside it. Stabbing pain in Jordin's hands and arms made her cry out. The images vanished. She could see the floor as she hit it, tumbling with a wooden table and its now-broken glass top. Footsteps vibrated the hard wood floor underneath her._

"_Jordin!"_

Forceful hands helped her roll over and sit up, exposing her throbbing arms. She still could quite see properly—deep red and pale white blurred together before her.

"Holy sh…c'mon, we gotta get you to Dr. McCoy."

Even as the movement caused Jordin to inhale sharply, she recognized the voice as Bobby's. He was moving her towards the glowing elevator.

"_No!"_

Her reaction was completely involuntary. Whatever to voice had tried to get her into, Jordin didn't want to be anywhere near it. She fought despite realizing that it was blood spreading from her arms.

"What's going on here; it's three in the morning."

"Scott! Something's happened to 'er. We need to get her downstairs," Bobby grunted. Jordin's struggles were weakening, but her terror of the voice coming back remained strong.

"I can't…someone…wants me down there…" she mumbled as forcefully as possible. Her arms felt too heavy and painful to move anymore, even to make sure her nightdress fully covered her.

"I think right now we should be more concerned about keeping you in one piece," Scott commented grimly. He hooked his arms under Jordin's knees while Bobby lifted her by the shoulders, and together they squeezed awkwardly into the elevator. Jordin's head slumped against Bobby's chest.

Dr. McCoy heard the commotion all the way down the hall, rushing toward them out of the dark med unit, where he apparently slept. "Get her on a table. What is it with you all and late-night fiascos?" he quipped.

"I dunno," gasped Scott. "But she's already lost a fair amount of blood. We'll have to figure out what happened later."

McCoy collected supplies with speed that belied his size. The gashes on Jordin's bare arms didn't look so serious, if they weren't bleeding so much. They would need cleaning before they could be bandaged, though.

"Apply pressure to this arm for me," the furry doctor instructed Bobby. "There may be a piece of glass still in the other one." He bent closely over Jordin's left arm with a pair of tweezers. Indeed, not one but two blood-covered objects were removed from the wounds, and then McCoy stopped.

"What's wrong?" asked Scott.

"There's something else here, under the skin. Too far away from the wounds to be glass. But it'll have to wait until later. Scott, you're the only one here with the same blood type. Could you…?"

"Yeah. Gimme a few minutes." Scott strode over to the supply cabinet. Bobby watched him numbly as blood seeped through the gauze under his fingers. What had possessed her to be in the hallway so late, and what had spooked her badly enough to injure herself?

Dr. McCoy worked quickly and dexterously to close up Jordin's fragile-looking arms. What seemed like an eternity later, Scott emerged with a bulging plastic pouch of dark blood, which was promptly transferred into her veins. It scared Bobby to see how pale the slight girl had become.

"Well, we've done all we can for now. Scott, I want you to sit and stay put while I go tell Charles what's happened," McCoy sighed wearily. "I don't need anyone else passing out or the like tonight. Bobby, you will come with me, and go to bed; you should get some sleep."

"But—" protested Bobby.

"I will watch her closely tonight. She's stable enough to make it that far, and I expect she'll wake up sometime tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Bobby accepted defeat and followed the huge doctor out of the med unit. "What do'ya think caused it all? She freaked when we started to bring her down. Said someone wanted her down here."

"I don't know," Dr. McCoy replied, pushing the button for the elevator. "But it's a very serious matter any way you look at it now."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jordin's first awareness was how groggy she felt. The burning she'd felt in so many of her dreams had spread up and down both of her arms, and they were stiff. Then the memory of her last experience flooded back. She sat bolt upright with adrenaline.

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down, take it easy!"

Her head swam from the sudden movement. Gentle hands eased her back down onto a pillow. Slowly, a silver room came into focus—the med unit. Bobby was standing next to her, concern written all over his face.

"W-what happened?" Jordin asked hoarsely.

"Well, we were hoping you could tell us. I heard a crash in the hallway at like two or three in the morning, an' found you on the floor bleeding and yelling at someone." He shrugged. "By some miracle, Scott was the only other one who seemed to hear it."

"Oh." Jordin looked down. White bandages were wrapped firmly around each arm nearly from wrist to elbow, and extending down to her right hand. "I guess it's not just bad dreams and sleepwalking I'm dealing with, huh?"

Bobby's face went even darker, if that was possible. "Dreams? What di'jah see?"

"That's just it. I didn't really see…it was like someone was in my head, accessing my powers and trying to get me to do stuff. I was so confused…" Jordin trailed off, and shuddered. "But I _knew_ this before, somewhere."

"Just as I feared," Professor Xavier's voice chimed in. He'd been sitting patiently by the door with Dr. McCoy, listening to the discussion. "I've been observing your occasional night walks from a distance, Jordin, and I believe whatever Magneto was planning, it's still in motion. A plan you don't remember, of course."

"I—I did see glimpses this time!" Jordin burst out excitedly, recalling her last minutes of consciousness. "I met him at some point. I was naïve, an actor eating up attention. Then he put something in my arm, I think…" She winced, putting her hand to her bandaged left forearm.

"Something was implanted in your arm?" Dr. McCoy pressed urgently. "I knew something wasn't right—I came across it as I was checking for imbedded glass, but the location was wrong. I left it at the time to avoid unnecessary bleeding, understandably."

The Professor's pale eyebrows rose ever so slightly. Bobby looked incredulous. Jordin continued to stare at Dr. McCoy.

"I wanna say it has something to do with the dreams themselves. My arm stung if I tried to fight them," she whispered, almost breathless at her own revelation.

Dr. McCoy turned to the Professor. "It should be removed as soon as possible, for all our safeties, I fear."

"Yes, I share the same conclusion. I will find Scott and begin preparations to move everyone to the safehouse, just as a precaution. Bobby may stay here to help Jordin, if he wishes." The Professor turned and exited. Jordin felt extremely nervous.

"It's gonna be okay," said Bobby, taking her right hand in his own. "You'll be fine after the doc gets rid of…whatever it is."

Jordin managed a shaky smile. All the same, it took all the effort she had to keep herself still as Dr. McCoy carefully removed the gauze wrapped around her left arm. The gashes were still sticky with ointment rather tender. A portion of the skin closer to the wrist was slightly raised in a hard bump. Why hadn't she noticed it before?

"I'm going to apply a local anesthetic first; you won't feel a thing," the blue-furred doctor explained.

"Uh—okay." Jordin still flinched as the needle penetrated sensitive skin, but from there the pain melted away. She still couldn't stand to watch the impromptu surgery, though. Instead, she found refuge in keeping eye contact with Bobby, who continued to hold her other hand tightly.

Several minutes seemed to pass. Then there was a metal _clink_, and numb pressure was applied to her left arm.

"I'll just stitch this one up, and you should be fine. Take it easy, though. You're body's been through a roller coaster in the past few hours." He finished bandaging and turned away to clean up. Jordin felt suddenly self-conscious that she was sitting in front of Bobby with only a nightdress on.

"Dr. McCoy, do you think she'd be okay going back up to her room?" Bobby asked.

"Hmm, I suppose, as long as you're careful getting up there. Here," he fastened a sturdy, silver bracelet with a blue charm on it onto Jordin's wrist. "I've had these for awhile, but no need to use them—if something happens where you need help, which is still a risk at this point, just squeeze the charm. It'll notify me immediately. Now, get some rest. Goodness knows you could use some."

Bobby picked up a blanket off the floor—it must have fallen off at some point—and wrapped it around Jordin's shoulders. Not only did it make her feel less exposed, it also hid the bandages from curious passers-by.

"Slowly now—there. Let's get you to your own bed." Bobby guided her to the elevator. Jordin felt a little woozy to be moving around, but his support made her feel emotionally as well as physically steadier. Finally, they reached her room without incident.

"Thanks for helping me," Jordin said quietly. She was tired, and her arms stung a little. "It means a lot, with everything that's been going on."

Bobby smiled crookedly. "I'm just glad you're okay. And I have to admit…I'd kinda forgotten what it was like to be able to touch someone without having to think about it first, after dating Rogue for so long. It's…nice." He brushed her cheek with his fingers.

"I guess it is," mused Jordin. "Well, I'd better get to bed, or my body will fall asleep without me. See you later." A smile brought the lightest tinge of pink back to her cheeks.

"Sleep well," Bobby replied. He waited until she made it into bed before shutting the door, just to be sure. She would be safe there now that Dr. McCoy had removed…what _did_ he find, anyway?


	7. Protective Measures

Curiosity drew him towards the Professor's office; he'd heard voices when they'd passed it. But upon rounding the corner, he met a sight so surprising it made him jump.

"Rogue?"

His ex-girlfriend was coming the opposite direction, dressed in her usual black and clutching a cell phone in one hand. Her white-streaked hair flipped around her face as she, too, was taken by surprise.

"Oh. Hi," she muttered evasively.

"You haven't been around a lot lately. Everything okay?"

"There's been some family stuff. I've just been keepin' to myself."

"Sorry to here that. Is there, uh, anything I can do?" This situation was becoming very awkward.

Rogue shrugged off the question. She seemed keen to be somewhere. It was still hard to believe that only months ago they hardly spent time apart—now she barely made eye contact with Bobby. There was a new uneasiness that he couldn't quite place. After a minute or so of increasingly awkward silence, she turned away.

Then she was gone. Bobby considered going after her, but the Professor's door opened at the very moment.

"Bobby? Can we help you with something?" Professor Xavier's quiet, kind voice asked. Bobby was forcefully reminded of why he had come there in the first place when he added, "How is Jordin?"

"Oh, uh, she's doing a little better. I helped back to her room so she could sleep," he answered. "Did Dr. McCoy send up whatever-it-was that he found?"

The Professor nodded. "Come inside. I daresay you'll want to know anything you can possibly coax out of us. Make sure the door is locked behind you."

Bobby was taken aback. He hadn't expected his question to be addressed, let along be invited to participate. _Maybe this is what it's like to be a real X-man._ But the surprise quickly passed, and he did as he was told. Scott was waiting by the Professor's desk, holding a magnifying glass and a small, squarish piece of what looked like metal.

"That's the…"

"Yes," replied the Professor. "Quite the curious device, actually. It's a simple microchip, but it's designed to act as a sort of telepathic remote control. Someone, telepathic or not, could wield the partner to this chip to use Jordin, or her powers, or both."

"Someone like Magneto?" Bobby suggested.

"I suspect he's involved somehow. The sophistication and the similarities to Cerebro's function could come from few others."

"So she wasn't just hearing voices or having weird dreams. Someone's been trying to control her with her own powers!"

"That would explain the sleepwalking, and why she freaked out last night," mused Scott. He was absent-mindedly fiddling with his glasses. "She said that someone wanted her down in that hallway."

"I think the sooner we get her out of this building, the better," the Professor declared. "If you start now, the safehouses should be ready by this evening. I still want to move the rest of the students out for the time being, just as a precaution."

"Wait-wait-wait, you're just going to throw Jordin out?" Bobby interrupted.

"You misunderstand me," the older mutant apologized. "Though we've removed the device that was controlling Jordin, I have reason to believe that what Magneto is after is in the school. Now, since our last emergency on our grounds, we have returned some attention to the safehouses. Originally, there was one specially-equipped in case we needed shelter from—or to contain—an exceptionally powerful mutant."

Scott became a lot more serious. "Jordin isn't a prisoner or anything. This is just to make sure whoever's been getting into her mind stays out now."

"We are certainly not going to throw her out," assured the Professor. "Scott, if you could begin preparations, I will have Storm and Logan organize the students so I may speak to them."

"What can I do?" asked Bobby.

Professor X carefully studied him with penetrating eyes. "Watch over her. There is space set aside for one or two others to guard—well, keep company anyone who needs to stay in that safehouse. You and Scott have both made remarkable connections with Jordin, and with the times we are facing, those connections are an invaluable asset. She will be more comfortable with the people she trusts most."

Bobby nodded solemnly. "I want to let her sleep for now, but once everything's set to go at the safehouse, I'll help her move."

"Some preparations have already been started, however; unfortunately I would prefer to move her sooner, and then let her rest."

Reluctantly, Bobby agreed, though Jordin didn't complain. She remained propped up in bed while directing him in the packing of her few needed possessions. Then they set off for the safehouse. What they didn't expect was for the path to go on for such distance through the hilled woods. When Scott finally came into view, standing in front of a well-camouflaged shelter, Jordin had already needed two short respites.

"Think you can do it?" Bobby asked, one hand on Jordin's back to steady her.

"It's not that far…" Just as she finished her sentence, she wobbled backwards into him.

"Hang on—_oof_—Scott, I'm gonna need your help. The hill's too steep."

Jordin was conscious, but she simply didn't have the strength to keep trekking around like this. After finding something to hold the power-lock door open, Scott joined them to finish the journey, carrying her much as they had the previous night. Their progress was painfully slow.

"You'll be safe here," Bobby gasped. He did his best to set the fragile girl gently onto the bed in the safehouse's main bedroom. "Is there anything you need right now from your bag?"

Jordin shook her head. "Some water would be nice, but otherwise I think I'm just going to lay down." Bobby hurried to get it for her. When he returned, however, she was already sleeping soundly. He let her.

The complex was not huge. The Professor had designed a living space that both shielded powerful mutants from outside detection and contained their powers to protect others if necessary. By Scott's somber demeanor, Bobby could tell that the bunker was originally meant for Jean—or rather, Phoenix—but had never been put to use. Was that the reason for Scott's fatherly concern for Jordin?

Most of the evening was spent on the comm system to the larger safehouse, over which came the sounds of the rest of the school being settled in. The Professor remained there with Storm and Logan; there were simply too many other students to concentrate solely on Jordin. The mystery of the microchip would have to be settled over video conference.

"Even with the power of Jordin's telepathy, the range of command is not very extensive. Such strong episodes as the one's she's been experiencing would have to have been conducted from close by," Dr. McCoy explained gravely. He alone remained to keep watch on the school itself.

"I could have found Erik with Cerebro, even after his run in with the Cure," countered the Professor. "Neither he nor any other suspicious persons have been near the school."

"Well, someone's getting through," argued McCoy. "And more safety precautions aren't going to make them disappear."

Professor X's face was stern. "Perhaps there's a way to make it work in reverse, use the chip to find them. Hold the chip up so I can see it."

"What? I thought you'd taken it with you, in case Magneto did try to enter the school."

"I thought it best to keep it away from Jordin and the other students. You may not have seen it since we left. I had Scott personally take it down there."

The blue doctor disappeared off-screen for about a minute. Then he hastily returned. "Charles, it's not anywhere here."

"Scott, did it accidentally end up in the bunker with you, by any chance?"

"No," Scott replied, shaking his head. "I went down to the med unit and set it on the counter of the supply cabinet." He glanced towards Jordin's room, where Bobby had just arrived with dinner. "Do you think we're compromised?"

"I don't know," sighed the Professor. "The pieces of this puzzle are piling up faster than we can put them together. Be very careful, Scott. I sense deception, somewhere we haven't considered yet."

"Yes, Professor."

Bobby reappeared with a tray for Scott, curious and concerned. "Not good news?"

"Unfortunately not," answered Scott. "We seem to have…misplaced…that chip."

"_What_?"

"Jordin shouldn't hear about this; she's endured enough stress already. How's she doing, by the way?"

"Felt able to sit up and eat, which is good. Her arms don't seem to be bothering her as much." Bobby glanced back at the figure partially visible behind the glare on the observation window. "So does the Professor know who's been sneaking around yet?"

"No." They hadn't even been there for 24 hours, and already Scott was getting tired of this question. "But we're thinking whoever it is, it's someone we didn't think was a threat."

"The guy who's been delivering the new window panes for the greenhouse! He's been snooping around for awhile."

"I doubt it. That was only the last week."

"It was worth a shot. So, what d'we do?"

"Well, there's not really much we can do, for now, except wait."

Something about that statement being said aloud made Bobby shudder, as if trouble was just waiting to spring on them. He went to bed feeling very uneasy, though about what, exactly, he didn't really know.

_In a dark room, a shadow rose fluidly from the ground. Two objects glinted dimly from one hand. The shadow extended the other hand forward to grasp thin air._

"_No way out this time. You don't have the strength to fight it." The shadow backed away, disappearing into the darkness with no trace except a faint night breeze…_

Bobby sat bolt upright in bed. The clock read 4:30 in the morning, but he was wide awake. Something was wrong.

He stole past Scott's bed out to the observation window to check on Jordin. Her bed was empty. _Crap._

Behind him, the main door was still ever-so-slightly open. How the hell did they get to her?! There was no way of knowing how far ahead they were already, so there was no time to lose. Waking Scott only briefly crossed Bobby's mind before he rushed out. No time to lose.


	8. Rogue Plans and Rogue Powers

It was easy enough to find the trail of bare feet in the soft dirt. Jordin, accompanied or not (he couldn't tell), was heading back to the school.

Bobby found the secret hatch left open as well. What if he was too late? Adrenaline began to pump as he followed the dark passage to the place he'd called home for so long now.

He didn't spot the missing girl until they were both out of the tunnel. Her ghostly pale nightdress and bandages seemed to float towards the elevator.

"Jordin, what are you doing?" Bobby hissed. He caught her as she stepped inside, but the door closed before he could turn around.

It took her a few moments to blink away a strangely glazed look. "Wh-what? What are you doing here? You've never been in this dream."

"It's not a dream, Jordin! Those dreams were supposed to stop once the chip was gone. What's going on?"

"I…I have to do this; I'm the only one that can," Jordin muttered vaguely. The doors opened again, and she freed herself from Bobby's grip with her mind. He followed her out.

"Well, it seems we have a stowaway," said a cool, accented voice from behind them. Bobby spun around to face the most unlikely pair imaginable—Magneto, dressed in black instead of his usual plum costume…and Rogue.

"What—how—"

Rogue couldn't seem to decide whether to be surprised, hurt, or furious. "Why are _you_ here? I don't remember you getting an invitation."

_Thud_.

Jordin tumbled to the floor as she was momentarily released, conscious but not steady enough to stand. Her lilac eyes grew wide when she saw Magneto clearly.

"_You?!_ How did you…I told you, I didn't want a part in this anymore. Leave me alone!"

"Yes, about that," Magneto sighed. "I believe you said it yourself only a moment ago—you're the only one can accomplish this task."

"How did you get here?!" exclaimed Bobby, still in shock. The entire scene was so incredibly absurd, finding his ex-girlfriend and their sworn enemy in the school basement, in the middle of the night.

"Oh, quite simply, actually. You see, Rogue here has been able to come and go without suspicion, and Charles can't keep watch for me all the time. As everyone has been moved out to the safehouse, we certainly are not disturbing anyone."

Rogue herself looked more and more uncomfortable. She was clearly off-balanced by Bobby's arrival, which was not supposed to happen.

"Now then, my dear, if we could continue on with what we came here to do," pressed Magneto. Impatience seeped through the calm exterior he wore.

Rogue pulled herself together and clenched something in one hand. Her other was extended toward Jordin, who stiffened, then stood once more. Bobby was suddenly knocked off his feet. Winded, he could only watch the odd little group walk towards Cerebro.

"What do you think you're doing?! You can't do this!" Scrambling up despite shortness of breath, Bobby lunged forward to grab Jordin's shoulders from behind.

"I'd hoped I wouldn't have to involve you any more than you involved yourself," growled Rogue. She pulled off a black glove and touched his bare arm. What felt like electricity coursed through Bobby's limbs. He instantly felt the familiar draining sensation, but it didn't stop when she released him. Somehow she could control when and how much life energy she took from him. Soon he was forced to let go of Jordin, and went down to his knees.

"What the…" he gasped.

"You should thank your girlfriend. Her first time in Cerebro may have been an accident, but it proved Erik's theory true. I have an altered version of my powers back. They're not complete, but they work well enough."

"Consider yourself lucky," quipped Magneto. "What you're about to witness is the answer to their 'Cure.' It's a shame you probably won't live to tell the tale, however."

Another wave of energy caused Bobby's muscles to seize up, at the same time leeching more life force from him. Then his body lifted of its own accord. Jordin, puppeteered by rogue, was controlling him. "I…don't understand…"

"Well let me spell it out—all I have to do is touch you once, and I can sap your energy whenever I want to. It's proven very useful when sneaking back and forth outside of school, stealing energy for long trips." Rogue paused to glance pointedly at Jordin. "But I still can't take on other powers without maintaining direct contact…that is, until we discovered how I reacted to that microchip.

"The chip technically linked my mind with hers, enough so that I could _control_ her telepathically, not just direct her as Erik was doing before. That way, we could bypass the memory loss and remain undetected."

"But she still caught on to you. And anyway, the chip's not on her anymore," countered Bobby.

"Ah, but you see, the chip has to be designed to a specific person's DNA in order to work; it requires access to Jordin's mutant gene," Magneto corrected him. "And Rogue had already made contact with her. If Rogue holds the chip, she's in control."

"And that wasn't hard to get," Rogue scoffed. "Sneaking around that lug of a doctor while he fawns over all of you. In case you want to know, he's unconscious and locked in his own closet right now." Through Jordin, she ushered them all again towards Cerebro.

"It still doesn't explain why you're here," Bobby continued to protest. "What could we have that works against the Cure?"

Magneto sighed, his cape billowing as he strode along. "You obviously don't listen, at any rate. Charles and his people have no imagination, no curiosity for what could be. Our budding telepath here presents a unique match to Cerebro and its potential. As you know, her powers allow her to alter others' minds, usually how they perceive her appearance. I've been going back over the design and concept of Cerebro for months, and I've found some details that even Charles may not have realized. After all, he wasn't the only creator…"

The silver-haired man stepped to the left of Cerebro's round door; at around waist height, he accessed a hidden panel with a keypad, and punched in a number. The retinal sensor blinked red and unlocked the door.

Jordin reeled back in fear, free just for a moment. "Nooooo!!" The cry echoed power that crashed over Bobby. The two closest sets of lights sparked and went out. Then the girl swayed dangerously—only the invisible force of her commandeered powers kept her from falling.

"Not so fast," sneered Rogue.

* * *

In the safehouse, Professor Xavier's eyes snapped open. He'd felt something, light as a midnight breeze, but full of potential energy. A fading presence that carried an unmistakably human voice.

"Scott, I need you to wake up," Xavier commanded through the comm unit. "Scott!"

"What's wrong?" Logan followed by a bleary-eyed Storm, entered behind him. They all watched the shadowy form of Scott tumble into view.

"I'm up, I'm up."

"Where's Jordin?" pressed Xavier. Scott disappeared. Indistinct sounds floated across the comm; the visored man abruptly returned.

"She's gone…they both are."

* * *

"Why would you do this, Rogue?" pleaded Bobby. Regular drains of his energy forced him to remain collapsed on the narrow platform. "Magneto's tried to kill you more that once! Why team up with him?"

Rogue avoided eye contact on the pretense of keeping Jordin contained while Magneto adjusted Cerebro. They needed her conscious enough to run it, but she was already severely weakened from Rogue's use of her powers. "You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand?! It was like I lost you when you took the Cure—"

"Well I've pretty much lost everything!" she spat back. "I don't fit in here anymore, the rest of the world still sees me as a freak…all I wanted was to be able to touch the people I cared about…" Tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"I—" Bobby's thoughts were cut off by a sudden stab in his chest. Rogue's rising emotions were interfering with her control over her powers. Jordin cried out in pain. "You know this isn't the way to solve things."

Rogue stared at him. "I don't know what I want anymore."

"Then get out of the way," interrupted Magneto. He wrenched Jordin from Rogue's grip so forcefully that Rogue almost fell off the walkway. Jordin twisted weakly, the bandage on her left wrist coming loose.

"In the end, I have to do everything myself," he sighed, picking up the chip, which Rogue had dropped. He pressed it to Jordin's half-healed arm as he removed his protective helmet. "Now, access the machine, girl. Do it!"

Bobby's view was blocked. He had no idea what was happening until, at the same time, the door closed behind him and the room exploded into chaos. Blurring images of Magneto flashed everywhere, the older man shouted—Bobby couldn't tell if it was out of pain or not—the floor beneath them felt like it was pitching wildly.

Then Rogue jumped into the fray. The flying images blurred even more as all four of them became connected. Magneto staggered. Rogue was draining his life force even as his power returned! He was bellowing, Jordin was screaming. Electricity arced between silver panels; the whole platform shook. Bobby couldn't breathe with all the smoke and the building pain in his chest.

There was a resounding _BOOM_! Magneto and Rogue were blasted in opposite directions. Jordin fell against the console, still connected to Cerebro. Panels and other debris fell and spat sparks everywhere. Bobby thought he felt the platform begin to tilt downward. In an effort somewhere beyond himself, he stumbled over to Jordin's limp form, and pulled the metal device from her head. Everything stopped.

"Jordin!" He gasped. She lay absolutely still. Both of them were burned and bleeding from Cerebro's destruction. Through the thick, lingering smoke, Bobby thought he could see two dark bodies far below. He didn't have the energy to care however. Even breathing seemed too difficult an effort. The last thing he remembered was gripping Jordin's hand tightly, and hitting the metal beneath him just as a forceful hiss of air escaped behind him…


	9. Things Regained, Things Lost

"…Their vital signs are stable, at least. For awhile, I wasn't sure he would last the night." The speaker paused. "I couldn't begin to figure out what went on in there."

"We may or may not ever know, Hank. Their conditions are still too fragile to try to search their memories."

Jordin heard this conversation through a haze of pain. Even her mind seemed to ache. She had no sense of her surroundings, although myriad objects clung to the skin of her face, neck, and arms. Wherever she was, the lights were really low.

Thudding footsteps came very close to her. She _knew_ those voices from somewhere! They were comforting, safe voices. The touch of a cool hand against her fiery skin finally gave her the adrenaline to open her eyes.

"Hank," the bald Professor called over his shoulder. "Welcome back, Jordin. We've all been very worried. How are you feeling?"

"Sore, like my body's on fire," groaned Jordin. Her mouth felt like sandpaper. She grimaced as Dr. McCoy appeared with a bright light to examine her.

"She's responding properly," the furry doctor reported. "Still, I want to keep a close eye on her for awhile."

"I know you've been through a lot, but can you tell us anything about last night?" asked the Professor, gently.

"I…I remember!" The revelation astounded Jordin. "Whoever he was—Magneto—thought up this obscure way to use Cerebro. Supposedly it could be reconfigured or something to reactivate the mutant gene with focused telekinetic energy. That's why he found me. We tested the microchip for weeks. It only let him talk to me, though, and he didn't want me making mistakes or bailing out."

"But the range didn't go far. He needed to be close in order to use it," Dr. McCoy pointed out.

"He was originally going to have me pretend to be lost and scared about my powers; then I would let him in after I gained your trust to stay here. But then I accessed Cerebro by accident—"

"Which was foolish—"

"_I know_," Jordin retorted. The effort made her cough. "But it happened, and my mind fixed on this girl, the one you said was slipping out, Professor. And…something happened. Anyway, Magneto bumped into her not long after, and realized what I had done. She was proof that if he could get me into Cerebro and focused on him, he could regain his powers. The position she was in made her…open to persuasion.

"She and I also now had a special connection; she could actually take control of my powers with the microchip. That plus her inconspicuous presence here made her the ideal agent to get in close, make sure I still did this. No one would think twice about her presence, and she could keep me susceptible by draining my energy all the time."

"A clever move," quipped the Professor. "I admit I never suspected that of her. The past few years have caused her significant emotional trauma."

Dr. McCoy's blue face was still dark. "But the safehouse—how did she get to you there?"

Jordin bit her lip and thought for a moment. "It was a stupid mistake, really. When I almost passed out on the way there, Scott propped the door open so he could help Bobby get me inside. Their backs were turned for over a minute trying to get me up that hill. After all the lights were turned out for the night, she came out from under my bed. And then Bobby followed me…where is he?"

The two older men moved so she didn't have to. She could see now that they were back in the med unit. The teenage boy, laying in the bed to her left, sported similar bandages, tubes and wires as she. He didn't stir.

"Is he—"

"Bobby is sleeping, just as you were," said the Professor. "You've both endured much in a short amount of time."

Jordin's vision blurred with tears. "He shouldn't've had to. It's all my fault, and now he's paying for it."

"Listen to me," the Professor interrupted firmly, taking her battered left hand. "He did what he felt was necessary to make sure you were safe. Was it wise to go after you alone? No. But it made all the difference that was needed."

"I was so stupid! Magneto told me I wouldn't have to hide who I was anymore, that I didn't have to be a prisoner in my own life anymore. I wanted adventure, something besides having my every move seen by the public. Maybe none of this would have happened if I'd only—" Jordin's tumbling thoughts became choked by uncontrollable sobs.

"Yet that choice led you to people that could help you. You _don't_ have to hide anymore. Not here."

They let her cry out all the pent-up emotions from the past weeks. It had to be a miracle that she hadn't lost her mind altogether, with everything that had happened. Did mutants ever get a chance at a normal life?

"Um, could I have a little time alone, just to think?" she asked when the torrent of feelings finally subsided. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I've kinda had a lot of people watching me for a long time."

The Professor nodded. "That's fair enough. We should let you rest, at any rate. The alert charm Dr. McCoy gave you before will still work if you need anything."

"Thanks."

Jordin watched with somber eyes as the older mutants left. She had caused nothing but mystery and trouble since arriving at the school, and still they wanted her to stay, to feel safe. But what did Bobby think? From what she could gather, the whole mess nearly killed him!

"I…I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

Jordin started. Scott was standing just inside the doorway, gazing in her direction. Even though she couldn't see the man's eyes, it was obvious that he had been up all night worrying.

"Well, you can't say I wasn't at least partially the cause of all this," she relied. "The dreams that were actually real, my out-of-control powers—I managed to demolish a machine I wasn't even supposed to touch!"

"Did those things happen because of what _you_ chose to do, or what _others_ chose? No one can blame you for trying to get help. We'll stand by you in that."

Jordin braced herself for her next question. "What…happened, after Cerebro blew up? I think I lost consciousness while I was still connected to it."

"There's not much to tell, really. The Professor alerted me when your mental call went out—I think everyone felt it, but I was, well, shielded by the bunker. Anyway, Logan, Storm, and I came back to the school, where we heard a great deal of noise coming from Cerebro. The explosion occurred maybe two minutes after we arrived, and only then did the door open. There was nothing we could do until that happened; the door remains shut when it's on.

"Bobby had pulled you away from the controls at that point, before passing out himself. The console is completely fried, I'm afraid. Whatever Magneto did to reconfigure it, it took on much more power than anticipated."

"…And he and Rogue?"

"Dead," Scott answered heavily. "We're hoping Bobby will shed more light on that."

Jordin swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to do that…"

"Operating Cerebro takes a great deal of control, something the Professor's worked at for thirty-plus years! By rights, they never should have put you up to this. So much power lingered in that room when we came in that we could all feel it; I very much doubt yours were the only ones at work. You don't have to worry about that."

They both turned as Bobby stirred, but didn't wake. Scott used the lull in conversation to grab a stool, which he brought right up to Jordin's bed.

"I guess, if anything, I should apologize to you."

"For what?"

"For not protecting you like I should have. When I first saw that you and Bobby were gone, I knew I'd invited trouble by leaving that bunker door open to get you in. It almost cost both of you your lives."

"It's not something you should go beating yourself up about, though. And it's not like it didn't do any good, you could say. It brought things to a head where we might've had to wait for days before figuring anything out."

Scott half-smiled. "A fair point, especially if you have no problem putting your life at risk." Jordin suddenly reached for his hand, being careful not to jostle her IV.

"I still don't remember much about what my home or family life was like before, but I think you've done a good job taking over. Thanks."

"Hey, everyone deserves to have someone looking out for them," quipped Scott. "May I?" At Jordin's nod, he gave her a gentle hug around the shoulders. "Now, I should probably let you rest. It's about time we made sure you stayed in one piece for awhile."

Jordin giggled. Her arms, at least, were healed enough to no longer require covering. "I'll see you around then."

"I'm not goin' anywhere."

After Scott left, Jordin settled back into bed facing Bobby. He bore few outward signs of the harrowing night they'd endured, the worst of which was a burn poking out of its bandage near his right temple. Jordin would owe him a great deal of thanks when he woke. But for now, she could enjoy the simple peace and quiet surrounding her.


	10. A Reason to Heal

It only took about thirty seconds for Bobby to conclude that he couldn't handle sitting through Rogue's memorial service. That final night still haunted him. Luckily, the bustle of students filing out provided cover for him to escape to the garden.

In contrast to the day's activities, the weather was clear and beautiful. The breeze and birdsong quickly swallowed up and voices behind him.

"Bobby?"

He jumped. Jordin, wearing a feathery skirt that matched her lavender eyes, followed him around the bend in the path. Her reddish-brown hair fell gracefully around her shoulders. "Mind if I joined you?"

"No, you're fine. Actually, it'd be kind of nice." He waited for her to catch up, and then they continued on together. "How are you feeling?"

"More refreshed than I've been in a while. I see you're looking better, especially just three days out."

Bobby smiled shyly, something he'd never done in front of Jordin before. "I think it helped to wake up two days ago and find you already sitting up and moving around."

They lapsed into silence as they rounded the school building; the fountain slowly came into view. Sunlight glinted off the water. Bobby motioned the offer to sit down.

"You know," started Jordin, "I can't begin to thank you for what you've done. It sounds really cheesy, but I don't know if I'd even be alive—really!"

"I'm not making fun of you for it," replied Bobby, perfectly serious. "And you're welcome."

Jordin glanced in the direction from which they'd come. "Was she your first? Girlfriend, I mean."

"No, I dated some before I came here. But she was different. I mean, yeah, there was the issue of her powers when it came to certain stuff, but…it's something you don't find every day, even here, you know?"

"I understand." Jordin occupied herself with studying the light and shadows of the water behind her. A blossom floated down to rest on the shining surface. The pool, the air, everything was just the right temperature. She found it comforting that beauty continued even after the worst of ordeals. It gave them a reason to heal, to move forward in life.

Bobby's hand brushed hers, causing her to finally look back at him. His face was a mixture of peace and pain, grief and gladness. To feel the loss and enjoy the day at the same time was perfectly acceptable. And yet there was also a sense of contentment, like this was where they were meant to be no matter how difficult it was.

"Jordin—"

"Bobby—"

He gave up on words altogether and just kissed her. Jordin was taken by surprise only for a moment. They both knew this had been avoided for awhile; enough people hinted and giggled whenever they were seen together. It just hadn't felt right, until now.

The peaceful day would not stick around forever, but this scene, the perfection of it all, seemed to say that in the end, everything would still be alright.

**Fin!**

**Okay, a very sappy ending. Gimme a break, I needed something lighter after struggling with the climax for months!**


End file.
